Saw-mill skid



UNrri-n) ASTATI-is PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN Il. LAVTER, OF LADOGA, INDIANA.

SAW-MILL sKiD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,137, dated December1, 1891. Appnmaniediipni 21,1891. serrano. 389,795. (nomia.)

.To @ZZ whom, it Wawy concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN HLAWTER,

useful Improvements in Saw-Mill Skids, of

which the following is a specification.

My said invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement ofturn-blocks for saw-mill skids whereby the handling of said logs andtheir delivery to the saw-mill carriage is rendered easy and convenientand much lifting is obviated, all as Will be hereinafter moreparticularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof andon Which similarA letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure lis a perspective view of a portion of the floor of a saw-mill, showing acarriage, that portion of the skids which is provided with my improvedturn-blocks, and the operating mechanism; Fig. 2, a detail sideelevation of one of the skids with one of the headblocks of the saw-millcarriage in the position it occupies when the log is being turned, thedifferentrpositions of the log and turn-block being indicated by wholeand dotted lines, respectively, and the adjacent wall of the skid beingremoved to show the construction and arrangement of the turn-block andthe operating mechanism therein; and Fig. 3, a crosssection on thedotted line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the saw-mill carriage;B, the skids, and C my improved turn-blocks.

The saw-mill carriage A is or may be of any desired construction,provided with headblocks A A', on which are secured the saw-mill dogs,(not shown,) as usual, said head-blocks being shown in position adjacentto the skids. Said skids B are preferably made of three pieces boltedtogether, as shown, the central piece in each being of the samethickness as it is desired to make the turn-block and of a length onlyto reach a point which will allow a recess in the forward end of theskid between the side pieces adapted to receive said turn-block.

The turn-bloeks C are formed with substantially straight and paralleltop and lower edges, the front end being formed tapered and its rear endcurved, so that it will fit closely under the corner of the recess inany position, thus preventing any'opening for the bark and dirt to passthrough. At its front lower end it is hinged to the. skid in which it ismounted, said hinge preferably consisting of a strap c, secured alongthe lower edge of the block, and a similarV strap or part h, secured ineach of the two side pieces of the skid, each of which straps isprovided with an eye through which a suitable pint'le e vis extended.The strap c on the block preferably extends the entire length thereof,thus providing a metal face for its lower edge. A rock-shaft C extendsfrom one skid to the other and through each skid beneath the rear end ofthe turn-block therein, and an elongated cam c2 is rigidly mountedthereon between the two sides of each skid, which cam is formed with twofaces adapted to support the outer end of the block rmly and steadilywhen resting upon either of them, one of said faces being so located asto support said block even with the top face of the skid and the otherto support it in its raised position, as shown in Fig l and by dottedlines in Fig. 2, each of said faces being formed concentrically with thecenter of the shaft, and the intermediate portion of the face of the cambeing so formed and elongated that but a quarter-turn of the shaft isrequired to change the blocks from one position to the other, thisarrangement securing that degree of speed in operation essential tosecure the best results as well as sufficient power to support the logsand do the work easily. An arm C2 is securedY to said rock-shaft betweenthe skids,

preferably near one of them, and is connected by a connecting-rod c8 toan operating-lever C3, pivoted to a post c4 at a position convenient forthe operator.

The operation of my said inventionpisv as follows: A log being mountedon the carriage Vin the position shown in Fig. 2 and a slab ref movedtherefrom, it being then desired to turn said log so that its flat sidewill rest upon the head-blocks, it is released from the dogs, and theoperator, by means of the lever C3 and themechanism with which it isconnected, raises the turn-blocks C from the position 'shown in wholelines to that shown in dottedl lines in Fig. 2. The inner corners ofsaid blocks by reason of the position of the hinges and IOO theirformation are thus extended beyond the adjacent corners of thehead-blocks and the top edgesof the blocks are elevated above saidcorners, thus providing an unobstructed inclined way onto saidhead-blocks. The log is then turned, its ilat face being thrown upon the,inclined ways thus provided, the inclination of which is sufficient tocause said log when thus thrown upon them to slide into position on thehead-blocks, where it can be readily secured by the dogs in position forfurther sawing. In the case of a square-cornered log the blocks operateto bear against the corner and lift that edge of the log, thuspreventing the ends of the head-blocks from obstructing the way onto thecarriage and allowing the logs to be turned `easil-y and quickly. Whenlogs are being rolled upon the skids, said turn-blocks are raised andform stops to prevent them from rolling too far, and the rear ends ofsaid blocks being inline form a convenient means for lining up the logsbefore rolling themupon the carriage,which isaccomplished by adjusting'said logs so that their sides will come against th'e endsof 4bothturn-blocks, as will be readily understood. The inner en ds of saidturn-blocks beine,` formed inclined andthehingedlowercornerbroughtnearerthecarriage than the upper corner whensaid blocks arevturned up, said upper corners are thrown out to aposition beyond the corners of the head-blocks, as before stated, thusprotecting the corners .of the head-blocks and also preventing them fromobstructing the free passage of the logs from theskids thereto. Theadjacent faces of the side pieces of each skid are preferably cut out ashort distance below the upper edge to afford a free passage or spacebetween said side pieces and the turnblock to reduce the friction inoperation and also permit any sawdust or pieces of bark which may becomelodged between the operating-faces to drop through and escape withoutimpeding or interfering with the operation of the device.

Having thus fully described my said invenby Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the skids for delivering logs to a saw-millcarriage, of turnblocks mounted in recesses in the front ends of saidskids, the rear ends of which are formed curved to fit closely in saidrecesses and the lower front corner of which is hinged in said skids bymeans of hinges composed of the straps c, secured to the lower edge ofthe turnblock, and the straps b, secured in the parts of saidskid oneach side thereof, and the pintle c', extending through suitable eyesformed in said straps, the rock-shaft, cams on said rock-.shaft arrangedto Support the rear ends of said turn-blocks in and operate them todifferent positions, and means for operating said rock-shaft,substantially as kset forth.

2. The combination, with the skids for delivering logs to a saw-millcarriage, of turn blocks mounted in recesses formed in their front ends,said turn-blocks being hinged at their lower front corners on alineunder and beyond the outer corner of the head-blocks of the carriage,the front end of said turn-block being'formed tapered 4back from saidhinge, whereby it is adapted to clear said corners of the head-blocks ofthe carri-age in passing, and mechanism for raising the .rearends ofsaid turn-blocks, whereby their upper faces are raised above and serveto guard said headblock corners, substantially as described, and for thepurpose as specified.

In witness whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand .and seal, atIndianapolis, Indiana, this 2d day of April, A. D. 1891.

BENJAMIN H. LAVVTER. [L s] Witnesses:

E. W. BRADFORD, FRANK W. Woon.

' tion,what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure

